In pics: West African artist paints optical effects artworks with used flip-flops
Published on Aug 13, 2021 04:30 PM IST
- Aristide Kouame, a resident of Ivory Coast, West Africa, paints optical effects artworks with worn soles, holds used flip-flops picked up among the garbage on a beach in Abidjan.
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Published on Aug 13, 2021 04:30 PM IST
Kouame's works range from large portraits of civil rights and political leaders such as Nelson Mandela to abstracts evoking societal ills including climate change, Covid-19 and wealth inequality.(Instagram/@aristide_kouame_peintre)
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Published on Aug 13, 2021 04:30 PM IST
Aristide Kouame, 26, transforms the flotsam into artworks valued at up to $1,000 by cutting the rubber and plastic soles into pieces that he assembles into large collages.(REUTERS)
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Published on Aug 13, 2021 04:30 PM IST
"This is the rubbish people have thrown into the sea and the sea brings it back to us because it doesn't want it," Kouame told Reuters.(REUTERS)
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Kouame's technique is both inexpensive and ecologically aware. (REUTERS)
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According to the United Nations, around 13 million tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the world's oceans every year. (REUTERS)
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In the interview, Kouame also mentioned that his goal "is to get people to question the issue of their environment, in order to create a better life."(REUTERS)
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Published on Aug 13, 2021 04:30 PM IST